From one that has gone before
by Chiwizard
Summary: This is the first piece of fiction that I posted onto this site, and is NOT a current representation of my ability.
1. This just in...

Hello! This is the first fic i've ever posted, so be nice K?  
Whoever owns Yu-Gi-Oh is very, very lucky. As I am not lucky, it is obviously not me.  
This is in Yami's POV most of the time, but when it changes i'll let you know.  
Enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
I fell. It felt like I was falling forever. I knew I couldn't really be forever, but that's the only way I can describe it. Then, without warning, I finally landed. It hurt, and I was surprised. I hadn't felt pain like this since I was young. The unmistakable sensation of the burning pain that comes with new magic…I think that's when I passed out.  
  
  
  
I woke up in darkness. Then I realized I was lying on my face. Ow. As I got up, I had no idea where I was. It looked like a small room, with no furniture. "What?" I admit that wasn't the brightest thing to say, but I was confused. This didn't look like the Shadow Realm, but - I finally noticed. I had talked in a language I didn't even know! And my clothes were so…different. Dark blue jacket, a belt around my neck, blue pants? The Millennium Puzzle was hanging from my neck. I remembered the Puzzle. I remembered sealing myself inside it and it fell to pieces…so this meant the Puzzle had been solved! Just as I was wondering about that, I heard a voice. "Yugi! You'd better hurry if you don't want to be late for school!" "Coming, Grandpa!" The second voice sounded like it could have come from me, but I hadn't said a word. All of a sudden, I could see. I was looking around outside the room I had found myself in. Tables, some other things I couldn't understand - then I saw the mirror. In it, I could see a small boy. The strangest thing was, he looked like me! He was wearing the Puzzle, and I realized he was the one who had solved it. "Yugi! I'm not going to tell you again!" That voice belonged to an old man. 'Yugi' was the one with my Puzzle. "Sorry! Sorry!" Yugi said as he raced outside. As I saw through his eyes, I defiantly knew I wasn't in Egypt anymore.  
  
  
  
It's been a while since that morning. Actually, I've been with Yugi so long that when I look back on that day, I laugh. Charmed by my own naiveté. Life with Yugi and his friends has been interesting. It's not Egypt, but it's home. Yugi and I are on pretty good terms. We talk a lot, and if he needs me I help him out. Like when we were going after his Grandfather's soul. Albeit we have had one or two falling outs. But now, things are very quiet. What Yugi calls 'normal'. And that means I get to sit in my Soul Room for days on end. Right now, I'm watching a duel between Yugi and his friend Joey. Nether Yugi nor anyone else I know has really needed my advice on dueling Joey. Joey's definitely got some talent, but he still overreacts. The only reason I watch is because of the game. Duel Monsters reminds me of the Shadow Games we had back in Egypt. Technically, it's completely based on them. I can see Taya, Tristan, and Bakura watching. Now, Bakura is one that I watch constantly. Bakura somehow wound up possessing the Millennium Ring, and ever since I dueled the spirit within it I've kept an eye on him. The spirit is gone, but I've noticed Bakura is able to use the Ring a bit. Oops. I think I distracted Yugi. Joey just took a chunk out of his life points when I wasn't paying attention. No, wait, there he goes. "Good move Joey, but I play the Dark Magician!" Yugi says. "Oh man, I almost won that time!" Joey complains as the others laugh. Secretly, I think Joey likes to complain. But now they're all going home. Sigh, another night to myself while Yugi does homework. I guess I'll take a walk. Inside my Soul Room, because I don't like leaving Yugi unprotected. Besides, there's plenty of room. I was never sure how, but after that first day, my 'empty' room turned itself into the most complicated maze you could think of. And it comes with furniture! A bed, some stuff to keep me occupied, and about a million doors. Besides the one that connects to the door of Yugi's Soul Room. The other doors contain my memories, and many of them are locked. It's very frustrating. Every once in a while, a new door unlocks. If I'm really lucky it's two or three. None today, though. I really am bored, I wish something interesting would happen.  
  
  
Sorry to end it there, but I wanna know what you guys think before posting any more.  
Flamers shall be burned - otherwise, please R and R! 


	2. New Puzzles

I'm very annoyed. Only two reviews! One of which was me congradulating myself on getting the other review...  
Meitantei Kudo KID, thank you for reviewing. And just for you, I'm adding the next part!  
The only thing I own is 1/3 of my family's N64. That definitely does not include Yu-Gi-Oh.  
Remember, //Yami thoughtspeeh// /Yugi thoughtspeeh/  
This is still in Yami's POV. Now, please enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
Well, I'm an idiot. I know better than to make a wish carelessly like that. But how was I supposed to know the Puzzle would take it so seriously? A few days after making it, things just started going…weird, as Joey would say. For starters, there's a new student in Yugi's class. I wasn't paying attention too much attention when he walked in. "Class…" said the teacher. "We have a new student joining us today. Please say hello to Mister Layhon Dantiek." The new kid gave everybody a weak smile before the teacher sat him next to Kaiba. Now, I really dislike Kaiba. In fact, I spend the day pretending he doesn't exist. But there was something about this kid I couldn't put my finger on. So I ended up spending the morning looking in Kaiba's general direction. I think Kaiba noticed because he started glaring back. He really doesn't like me either. Yugi noticed as well.  
/Yami, what are you looking at?/  
//Hm? Ah, oh nothing.//  
/Yami, I know you're looking at something. It's distracting./  
//I'm not distracting you.//  
/No, but the glare Seto's giving you is./  
//…Fine.//  
That meant sneaking pecks as soon as Kaiba stopped glaring. Which was around lunchtime. "Hey Yugi, are you okay? You started spacing out earlier," Joey said. "Um, I was telling Yami to stop bugging Seto." I'm still not certain why Yugi insists on calling Kaiba by his first name. The kid's lifelong dream is to be friends with everyone, I guess. "Whatever," Joey brushed this off. "Did you see the new kid?" "Duh Joey, we were all here when he came in." Taya isn't a fan of stupid remarks. "You know what? I think he looked like Bakura!" Tristan said as Bakura walked up. "No he didn't." "Oh yes he did. He had your hairstyle!" The 'kid' in question was taking this chance to go outside for lunch. Now that I think about it, he did look like Bakura. His hair was the same, just finer and a slivery color. He was about Yugi's height, tanned, and had blue eyes. But still, there was something about him. "Anyway," Yugi broke into his friend's fashion debate, "Don't you think we should get some lunch?" "Okay." They walked outside. That's when I saw it. There was a cluster of kids by a corner of the school. Two big ones, and a smaller one on the ground! Yugi noticed it too. "What's going on over there?" As we got closer, I could distinctly hear the sound of taunting. It's unmistakable. Yugi has heard it enough to recognize it quickly. The last straw was when one of the bigger boys (I think they're called upperclassmen) kicked the boy on the ground. Yugi, who can be a little too noble for his own good, ran between the upperclassmen and their victim. "Hey, leave him alone!" "Yeah, why don't ya pick on someone your own size!" Joey and Tristan stood on either side of Yugi. The bullies might have fought anyway, but when Taya and Bakura ran up they lost their nerve. "Jeeze man, we wasn't doing anything!" they said defensively and ran off. The boy they were picking on turned out to be the new kid in class. "Are you okay?" "Yes. Thank you…" "Oh, my name's Yugi. And these are Taya, Joey, Tristan, and Bakura." "My name is Layhon Dantiek." the boy spoke with a strangely familiar accent. "Nice to meet you, Layhon." Just then, the bell rang. "Oh no, we missed lunch!" Joey cried mournfully. Layhon gave him a look. "Don't worry," Yugi said cheerfully, "He's like this all the time." "I am NOT!"  
  
  
  
Needless to say, I had to spend the afternoon keeping Yugi focused. His hunger was incredibly distracting. And by the end of the day, all five of them were getting on my nerves. They were sitting around just before the dismissal bell, discussing food. I no longer need to eat, but that doesn't mean I have to be reminded of it for twenty minutes straight.  
//Aibou, is it at all possible for you to think of something else?//  
/Sorry Yami. We can't help it!/  
Just as I was about to go out of my mind, who should walk up but Layhon. "Um…" he said nervously. "I noticed you missed lunch to help me, so I thought…" "Yes Layhon?" Taya asked. "I know a bakery that has recently opened up. It's not far, and it's got nice food." "Why didn't you say something earlier? C'mon you guys, lets go get something ta eat!" Joey said as the bell rang.  
  
  
  
  
  
*Gasp* Where will they be getting their food? Why did I give the new kid such a weird name? Why am I asking such stupid questions?  
To find out the answers to these and more, you'll have to wait for the next chapter.  
And next time, i'm waiting for at least six reviews from other people before posting.  
If somebody is desperate enough to send six reviews in a row, I will gladly accept them.  
No word-for-word repeats please.  
And absolutely NO FLAMES!  
Except for that, please R&R! 


	3. Sweet Breads and Short Relatives

People reviewed! Thank you, thank you!  
By the way, my bad with the six reviews in a row thing. I was feeling slightly desperate for feedback at that point, and I didn't know. But now I know better.  
I may finally own a deck but I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Do I really have to say that every time? *Threating shape in background makes threating noises and shakes briefcase* Just asking!  
So, when we last left our group, they were going to get food cause they missed lunch being good sameritains. And yes, I know I misspelled that.  
By the way, it's still Yami POV!  
  
  
  
  
  
We were all surprised when we saw the bakery. It had a sign that said, 'DANTIEK'S'. Layhon was blushing embarrassedly as he lead us inside. There was a LOT of bread. And plenty of other baked goods. In fact, there was a big basket of something I recognized.  
//What the-//  
/Yami, what is it?/  
//Um, nothing. It's just that I saw something I didn't think I'd see.//  
/You mean this stuff labeled 'Mediterranean Honey Cakes'?/  
//Yeah…they were my favorites.//  
At this point, Yugi backed off. He turned his attention to Layhon, who had walked right up to the counter. He yelled something in a different language, and a woman came out of the back. She had big green eyes, short gray hair, and a friendly smile. "Layhon, what have I told you about yelling in the store?" She chided Layhon before turning to us. "Hello. Welcome to Dantiek's." "Aunt Jainlia, these guys helped me at school today!" His aunt gave us a big grin. "Then help yourselves. Business is slow, and I have to make room for fresh food somehow." "You're going to regret that!" Bakura laughed as Tristan and Joey dived for the same bread tray. As they fought for the bread, Yugi and Taya calmly ate some muffins. "Healthy appetites, those two!" Layhon giggled as he went to the back. He came back dressed in casual clothes and an apron. As he manned the counter, I could see him shaking his head. No wonder, considering the incredible ruckus 'those two' were making. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Dantiek." Taya said. "Oh, just call me Aunt Jainlia. One can never have too many nieces and nephews!" " 'Aunt Jainlia' , these are great! I can't understand how you don't have more business." "That's easy, we just opened here last week. Before we moved here, I had the most successful store in all Greece! It's where we're from." That's why Layhon's accent was familiar! When I had been Pharaoh, Egypt had had many visitors from Greece. So, why didn't that cure the nagging feeling that I was missing something? It took an hour for Yugi to drag Tristan and Joey out of poor Layhon's Aunt's store, which had been half-wrecked in their hunger. "Calm down, you can come back tomorrow!" "Aye, but tomorrow I'm not going to be so generous! Next time, you bring your manners, understand boys?" "Yes ma'm!" Yugi walked home with a big bag of food he wanted to give to Grandpa. He doesn't think I noticed, but he put some of those Honey Cakes in the bottom.  
  
  
  
  
The next day, we ran into Layhon before school. "Hello." "Hey Layhon. Sorry bout the store yesterday." "It's okay. Aunt Jainlia sent this. She said it would help if you ate lunch today." He pulled out a bag. "Alright!" Joey began munching cream puffs. "Hey Layhon, is that a deck in your bag?" Before anyone could stop him, Tristan had snatched the deck. "Give it back!" Layhon protested. Tristan gave it back while rubbing the head injury Taya had just given him. "Yes it is my deck. It was hard to get cards back home, so I don't play very often." He showed them. It was a very interesting Duel Monsters deck - from what I could see, it was all beasts and plants. A Nature duelist, then. "Do you want to have a duel?" Joey asked. "I suppose so. After school?" "Sure." I was admittedly curious, so Yugi's classes seemed to take ages. We found Layhon and Joey dueling outside. They looked evenly matched, and there were no cards on the field. "Okay, now feel the might of my Flame Swordsman!" Layhon looked at his hand. "Then I guess I play the Fire Grass, and a card facedown," he said. "Oh this is in da bag! Flame Swordsman attacksFire Grass!" "Nope. Flame Swordsman triggered my trap. Pitfall destroys monsters with an attack higher than 1000." "Hey, at least I almost won!" Joey still looked pleased with himself. "You're a good duelist, Layhon." Layhon looked sheepish. "I still want to improve my deck, though." "Grandpa can help. He owns a Game Shop." Yugi cut in. The three of them walked to the Game Shop while I nursed my private disappointments. I had been hoping to see an interesting duel, but we had missed most of it. I kept this particularly selfish thought to myself.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hey, duels aren't my specialty! Actually, I stink as a dulist cause nobody I know has a deck and it's hard practicing by myself...  
I also don't know if Mediterranean Honey cakes are even real, but they sure sound tasty.  
I think.  
Anyway, ignore this humble author's rambleing and just R&R!  
And maybe check out some of my other fics while you're at it! 


	4. Unveiling the Locks

Another chapter, yippee skippy (I can't believe I just wrote that)  
Okay, my computer can't figure out italics, so in the event of a dream squence (Like say, the one in this chapter), there will be a line of ####.  
I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I would love it for a birthday present though!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Grandpa, I'm home!" Grandpa looked at Layhon. "And I see you've brought us a new costumer." "He's Layhon. The one who's Aunt owns the Bakery we were at." Layhon looked around with interest. While Yugi and Joey went to another room, I quietly slipped into my false form. A false form, for those who don't know, is a separate body I can create to move around on my own. I can't use a lot of my power when I'm in it, so I don't use mine too often. It looks like me, down to a false Puzzle hanging from my neck. I could barely see Grandpa and Layhon from my hiding place. "So, first I will need to see your deck." Card shuffling sounds. "Quite a piece of work, this! Now, here's some cards that may interest you." Rummaging sounds (yes, I know I shouldn't be spying), then - "Okay Joey, I'll ask him." I darted back into the Puzzle before Yugi noticed I was out. "Grandpa, Joey wants to know if you have any new trap cards." "Yes yes in a minute." Grandpa was looking at the cards Layhon wanted. I could just see them - a trap card, two magic cards. "And this monster card." Layhon handed him another card. "Very interesting choice! Not many people would chose this card." "Which is it?" Yugi asked. I could see it. It was a Hane-Hane. "I like it," Layhon said. I was confused as Yugi, but nether of us said anything as Layhon paid and left. The whole thing was giving me a headache when I heard it. The noise coming from the other end of my Soul Room. The one that signaled a door unlocking.  
  
  
  
  
Later, when Yugi was asleep, I rushed to check. Only one door. One being better than none, I opened it. This door was rather thick, and I could tell why as the memory surged over me -   
  
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It was dark. Even though it was the middle of the day, it was dark. My mind couldn't seem to focus on anything else. "Highness, we have to hurry," insisted the guard. We were running through the palace. Normally a hive of activity, the halls were all empty. Everyone was at home, cowering in fear. With good reason. A massive explosion outside caused me to almost lose my footing. Without checking I knew it was a Red-Eyes Dragon. 'The fools!' I thought as I ran. 'They knew what would happen if they opened the Gate! Now I have to stop it.' I carried my burden carefully. I was holding the Master Key, and to drop it would be disastrous. I knew the others had the other six. 'I imagine they're not going to like me for this,' I thought dryly. Finally, we reached the Shrine hidden in the center of the palace. Leaving the guard outside, I ran inside. I was relieved to see my friend had made it. "We have to hurry," he said. "Something got my guard. It will be here soon!" "Then we have to do this now!" I put the Master Key on the pedestal. The Shine of Ra was completely covered in gold, and it seemed to glow with mystical energy. As I held the Book of the Dead my friend had brought and found the spell, a blast outside distracted me. The door was ripped from it's hinges, and there IT stood. The master of the force ripping my beloved homeland apart. My guard lay dead behind him. I tried to ignore him, and began to chant. The Power of Ra filled the room with a golden light as I sang the words that would save my people. The dark force leapt for my throat - but before I could react, my friend flung himself in the way. He used his power to protect me as I finished. The Shrine released an unearthly roar - power surged from the book, swallowing us and -   
  
  
############################################################################################  
  
- I landed on my back as the door swung shut. I rubbed my head. "That was cheerful," I muttered as I made my way to the main part of my Soul Room. It was always nice to know the full extent things could be screwed up to. Yugi hadn't even noticed, so that was good. I didn't think he would take well to some of it.  
  
  
  
  
  
Told you there was going to be a dream sequence. Sort of.  
It still counts.  
In case you're wondering, I'm going start picking up the pace in the next few chapters.  
R&R! 


	5. Eyes in the Ice

And, we're back!  
Note: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. In all likelyhood, I will never own it.  
*SIGH*  
Yami POV, //yami thoughspeech// /yugithoughtspeech/, you get the idea.  
And now, our story continues...  
  
  
  
  
*************************************INTERMISSION*************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
"Soon…soon I will find you, my little Pharaoh." A voice laughed. "You may have stopped me once, but not now. And when I find you, it will be too late. Far too late…" The voice laughed, long and loud.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*************************************SECOND**ACT*************************************  
  
  
  
  
  
A week had passed. I still thought there was something odd about Layhon, but he had   
turned out alright. He was still a little shy, but he and Yugi were good friends. Nothing   
out of the ordinary had happened. So why was I so edgy? Even when Yugi dueled my mind was   
elsewhere. Every night I found myself pacing the floor of my Soul Room. All I knew was   
that something was coming - something big. It was getting upsetting for Yugi too. He   
wanted to help and he couldn't. For him, that's the worst feeling imaginable. The others   
are getting concerned too. We were all going to see a movie that night. Yugi was hoping a   
movie would get my mind off whatever was bothering me. It was a nice movie, I guess. I   
wasn't paying that much attention. It was rather cold as we walked to the Shop afterwards.   
Layhon had his coat closed and zipped, and was grousing about how much warmer it had been in   
Greece. That's when I noticed something odd.  
  
  
//Aibou?//  
/Hm?/  
//Isn't this street usually busy at night?//  
/Hey, yeah. This is weird./  
  
  
He asked the others if they noticed the lack of cars. "You're right. This street is always   
busy." Taya looked concerned. But before anyone else could comment, it began raining.   
Hard. "Oww! Is this rain or hail?!" Joey yelped as they ran helter-skelter for the Shop.   
Grandpa looked relieved as we ran inside. "I was getting worried when the rain started.   
The weatherman said something about a freak ice-storm!" He handed out towels as he talked.   
"Well, at least you've got nice hot food waiting for you!" called a voice from the kitchen.   
"Aunt Jainlia!" Layhon hugged her. "I decided to come here to wait for you. Why didn't   
you tell me that Yugi's grandfather was such a nice man?" she teased her nephew. Grandpa   
was blushing. For the first time that week, I was finally able to think about something   
else. There was enough food to feed an army. "Cooking has been my life's passion," Aunt   
Jainlia said happily as she tended to something on the stove. I admit I was a bit envious   
of Yugi then. He was stuffing his face, and I had to sit here and watch. I recognized some   
of the dishes.  
  
  
//Aibou, you have to dip that.//  
/Oh. Oops./  
  
  
I sighed, and listened as Grandpa turned on the news. "A severe ice storm has struck, and   
now covers the entire city. Power-outs have been reported in many areas, and the roads are   
highly unsafe for cars. It is recommended that everyone stay indoors, and try to stay warm.   
The storm is expected to pass by tomorrow morning…" I paused. Why did this seem so   
familiar? "Well," Grandpa announced, "In this case, it appears that all of you will be   
staying the night." A ramshackle sleeping arrangement had to be set up. Yugi, Bakura, and   
Layhon in Yugi's room, Jainlia and Taya in Grandpa's room, Joey and Tristan on the couch,   
and Grandpa on the old cot he found in the back of the store last month.  
  
  
  
  
  
Oh boy oh boy oh boy, what will happen next? The suspense is overwhelling!  
Yeah well, so what if it's not that suspenseful?  
The more you review, the faster I post. 


	6. Freezer-Burn

Once again and forever more, I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
I own the people and stuff I make up in this fic!  
okay, Yami POV, //yamithoughspeech// /yugithoughtspeech/, you know the drill.  
  
  
  
  
  
As soon as Jainlia and Grandpa fell asleep, everyone else snuck into Yugi's room.   
"This is so creepy," Taya said, shivering. "Yeah, it was warm this morning." They were   
all shivering. Bakura had wrapped himself in a blanket, and poor Layhon was still wearing   
his coat. As for me, I was sitting on the bed of my Soul Room, freezing. I was from Egypt.   
We didn't even have ice! I franticly tried to get warm as the others talked. It was   
probably just me, but it seemed to get colder by the minute. "Man, I'm freezing! Is your   
thermostat broken or something, Yugi?" "No it's fine, we checked it ten minutes ago!" We   
were all getting way too cold. None of us could last long at this rate. Layhon was the   
first. He curled into a little ball and whimpered something about being cold before passing   
out. "We have to stay warm, c'mon! Everyone huddle together!" Bakura urged. Everyone   
piled on each other, trying to keep the others warm. They even pulled Layhon in.   
Meanwhile, I could feel myself shutting down. "No, Yami!" Yugi cried out loud as my   
thoughts grew sluggish. "He can't take the cold!" I wondered what he was talking about.   
Suddenly I was in Yugi's room. Yugi had managed to pull me into my false form. It was a   
bit of a shock for the others - I rarely did it in front of them - but at the moment I   
didn't care. I just lay on the floor, curled up and shivering. I think I passed out,   
because the next thing I remember is being covered in about ten pounds of blankets and three   
or four people. I think it was the false form itself that saved me. Because of the amount   
of magic it takes to make one, false forms give off a lot of excess heat. No one else would   
notice, of course, but to someone inside a false form it was always pleasantly warm.   
Bakura's head was next to mine, and he looked relieved with my return to consciousness.   
"Are you okay?" he whispered. I just nodded. Layhon was next me, and even though I   
couldn't see him I knew he was waking up.  
  
  
  
//Aibou?//  
/Yami! Are you okay?/  
//Now I am. Aibou, Layhon's waking up! What should I do?//  
/I think you can go back to your Soul Room. The Puzzle is buried under everyone, so it's probably warmer now./  
  
  
  
I went back to the Soul Room. Yugi was right, it was warmer. Still cold, but warmer. I   
wrapped myself in every blanket I could find in there. Outside, I could hear Yugi   
reassuring the others that I was fine, don't worry, and don't say anything about me to   
Layhon. "What happened?" Layhon asked groggily. "We almost froze ta death, what else?"   
Joey snapped sarcastically. He sounded tired. It was around midnight, after all. And it   
was still cold. I felt kind of snappish myself. "Now, if this was the desert," I said to no one in particular, "I could just bury myself in the sand when it got too cold. I wish I was in Egypt. Back there, we had normal weather." I could hear Yugi silently snickering. I hadn't noticed Layhon making an almost identical comment relating to Greece. I failed to see what was so funny. Just as everyone was finally beginning to relax, the house began shaking. It was a earthquake (just a little one). And then it finally connected - the feelings of dread, the freak storm, and an earthquake. I had seen it all before, I didn't need a open memory door to know this. But before I could warn Yugi, it struck.  
  
  
  
  
GASP! An actual cliffhanger! I don't believe it!  
It's amazing!  
It's stupendous!  
I think I had too much sugar a few minutes ago. So, just Review this thing! 


	7. What are YOU doing in here?

I'm now officially revealing the main villian of my story!  
Buried deep within this chapter is the antagonist that will kick my fic into high gear!  
Disclaimer: Please read the previous six chapters.  
Still Yami POV, but this fic ain't all from Yami's POV!  
You have been warned.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Powerful shadow energies hit. Nothing was really damaged, but I could already feel the pain. By gods, the pain! I could faintly hear the others crying out as they felt it. It was hard to hear them over my own cries. The dimensions opened up and pulled us through. As we fell, I tried to get to the door. But before I could, it burst open and Yugi shot through. He was unconscious, and he landed on top of me. The door swung shut, and I could feel the powers outside. The Millennium Items have minds of their own, and right now I could sense both the Puzzle and Ring covering us, protecting us. That meant shoving certain people into the safest places they could find. I winced as I pulled myself out from under my Aibou. His Soul Room wasn't as shielded from magic as mine, so no wonder he was in here. The door was locked - in fact, all the doors were. I was trying to figure out what this meant when I heard Yugi stir. He sat up, holding his head. It was a little awkward, having him here. My Soul Room is more than where I live. Everything there is of me is in here. It was almost a violation of privacy. Not that I cared. "Are you alright?" I asked softly. He started, turned. He was very surprised. Reasonable, since except for the false form I was just a voice in his head to him. "Yami?" He pushed himself up and walked up to me. "Where are we?" "This is my Soul Room." He looked around in confusion. We had had an unspoken agreement not to go into each other's Soul Rooms - Yugi thought looking at something that personal was kind of rude. Right now, it couldn't be helped. He still looked dizzy, so I said, "Do you want to sit down?" He nodded, and I lead him to main area. He sank gratefully onto a bench. "Do you know what happened?" I asked. "I remember the freak quake, and then -" He stopped. "It hurt," he mumbled. "Nothing after I blacked out." I nodded. "Something opened up under us. Now we have to wait until it's safe." "How do we know it's safe?" Yugi asked me. "For starters, the Puzzle will unlock the door," I said with a frown. "Do you know why this is happening?" Yugi said. As I hesitated, he jumped up to stand in front of me. "You know don't you! Tell me, Yami!" "I don't really remember," I said sullenly as I sat on another bench. "I don't have access to a lot of my memories, and right now even the unlocked doors are locked." Yugi was startled - I had never even mentioned this to him before. He sat down next to me. "Sorry." He looked exhausted. Faintly, I heard a chime. The Door had unlocked. "You can go to your own Soul Room now, if you like." He nodded sleepily. I ended up carrying him into his own Room. He fell asleep as soon as I put him down on the bed. I was surprised, as I quickly left, that Yugi's Soul Room was almost identical to his normal one.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When Yugi woke up, he was back in control of his body. We were in a dark place, cold and lifeless - the Shadow Realm. Yugi was scared.  
  
  
  
  
//Do you want me to come out, Aibou?//  
/Yes please./  
  
  
  
  
So I did, and we stood up. I was looking for the others. I knew they were around here somewhere - aha! There was someone. It turned out to be Taya. She woke up as we got close. Except for a headache, she was fine. "Yugi! Taya! Over here!" We turned and saw Tristan waving. Everyone was there, including Layhon - he was wearing a blanket over his outfit. The poor kid looked scared to death. "That was NOT fun," Joey rubbed his head. "Why all the fuss if we just end up in the Shadow Realm?" "This isn't the Shadow Realm," I said. "Not as we know it." "Correct. I would expect no less from the great Pharaoh himself." None of us had spoken. We didn't see anyone else either. "Who are you?" I challenged the voice. There was a sigh. "Blind to the obvious as always. I thought you would have learned something after all this millennia. Looks like two heads aren't better than one." I know I had heard this voice before, but where? I felt a pit fall in my stomach as he appeared. "Oh, so you DO recognize me," he said as he strolled up. "I think you did better in your own body." He snapped his fingers. A blinding light enveloped me, and with a painful cry I was ripped from Yugi. Yugi staggered, but I thought I was going to be sick. He had ripped us almost completely apart! And now I was stuck in a separate body with almost no power. "What do you want?" I snapped. "Why, to repeat my offer. You do remember, don't you? I gave all seven of you an offer. You didn't agree, so I said I would come back after you gave the matter some thought." He frowned. "Oh wait, then you went and ruined everything. How silly of me." He shrugged. "Well, in that case I'm here to get what I came for last time." He raised a hand, and a blast of his power hit me. I'm not sure what happened next, because it knocked me out.  
  
  
  
  
  
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And i'm just getting warmed up!  
You know, I value every piece of input I get.  
So, why don't you Review? 


	8. Strange Places

Nobody reviewed?  
Absolutely no one reviewed my last chapter. Did any of you even read it?!?!?!  
Oh well.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I do own the stuff and people I make up.  
Anyway, now we're in the next chapter.  
IT IS NO LONGER IN YAMI POV! I warned you last chapter it would change.  
This one is in....drumroll....Yugi's POV!  
Gee, like you weren't expecting that.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I was scared. What happened? One minute Yami is with me, the next I'm on the floor beside him. That really hurt. It was the new guy's fault. Yami recognized him, but I didn't. He was taller than Yami, and he was wearing big heavy-looking black clothes. Black gloves, black boots, the works. He even had black hair. It looked greasy, all tied in a long ponytail. He was talking to Yami. Something about 'all seven of you' was bugging me. Then he hit Yami with his power. "Yami!" I cried. As the smoke cleared, I saw something that made me feel a lot worse - if that was even possible. Yami was in a big box. It was made of dark glass, and I could see that Yami was unconscious. "Will you look at that." The stranger said. "So he really did break it in half…" He turned to face me. "Oh little boy…" he said in a sing-song voice. "Will you be a good boy, and give me that Puzzle?" Something inside me screamed no. He could tell, because he frowned. "Okay, let me rephrase that. Give me the Puzzle. Now." I just held the Puzzle and shook my head. He was an evil person, and giving him the Puzzle would be bad, I just knew it. "Fine. Have it your way." He shrugged. "I'll make you a deal. You and your friends will play me in a game. If I win, you give me the Puzzle. If you win, I'll give you back this Yami." I swallowed. "What kind of game?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Black Man (he didn't tell me his name, I have to call him SOMETHING) grinned and waved his hand. Instantly we were transported. I was startled - after the Shadow Realm, green plants and stuff were a shock. The Black Man was standing next to a pile of bags, and Yami was gone. "Where's Yami?!" I demanded. "He's at the finish line - where I will also be. If you can make it to the finish line, you get to challenge me for him. There's a map to show you which way to go. Oh, even though time passes here, no considerable time will pass back where you come from. I'd say…only an hour at most. See you lot at the finish line!" The Black Man waved cheerfully and vanished. I sat down and began crying, I didn't really care that everyone else was there. So, while I was wasting time being depressed they were checking out the bags and our surroundings. "Where are we?" "Well, according to this map," Bakura said confusedly, "We're in someplace called 'Killbalm'." He shrugged. "I guess it's a different dimension." "So where are we _in_ Killbalm?" Taya said. "I see something marked 'Sunrise Field'. In fact, only two things on here are even labeled. Here…and something called Castle of Sorrows. That must be the finish line he was talking about." At this point, I was approached by someone. It was Layhon. "You should wipe your face before you get wrinkles," he said. That brought my head up. He grinned. "My Aunt told me that the more meaningless tears you shed, the older you get. She said that's why she always smiles, so she'll live forever." He handed me a handkerchief. "My tears aren't meaningless," I said. "Yes they are. You are sitting here crying when you should be getting back what you lost. You are wasting time, and my Aunt always said wasting time is meaningless." I noticed what he had done with his blanket. He had used a pin from somewhere to clip it shut at his left shoulder, and so now he had a stylish cape. He helped me up, and we followed the others. For a second this struck me as odd. Layhon didn't know what I had lost in the least. So how could he help me with such a loss so well?  
  
  
  
  
  
I'm gonna be flipping the POV a lot from now on. Just so you know.  
Also, REVIEW! Insult me, point out my shortcomings, flame me for all I care, I need the reviews! R&R! Do it! 


	9. Oh boy do I wish I had earplugs PART ONE

Yay! People were reading my fic again!  
I'd really appriciate if I didn't have to tell you to in order for you to read this.  
Although...ah, never mind.  
I made a list of things I own. Yu-Gi-Oh isn't on there, no matter how hard I look.  
Let's see - first, let's check up on Yami!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I woke up with a major headache. I had no idea where I was. From what I could see, he had locked me inside a giant crystal. There didn't seem to be any door. I tried to move, and a wave of weakness and pain decided to hit me in the gut. Better not move, then. I tried to call my Aibou, but the crystal blocked it. The crystal appeared to be inside a large chamber done in a dirty gold motif. When I say dirty, I mean the gold was literally covered in filth. It was then that I noticed that I was floating inside the crystal. "So I'm in suspense?" A really, REALLY bad pun, I know, but it had the expected result. He appeared. "Why, I thought a few millennia would have given you a sense of humor." I didn't say anything, since he was just trying to bait me. He walked up, leering. "Or does your Light have the humor now?" "Where is he?" I tried to sound threatening, but he laughed. "Him? He's playing a game, and you're the prize. Charming boy, but a bit stupid. Doesn't have a clue what's really at stake, and neither do you." Then he reached through the crystal, and grabbed me by the chin. Even if I could move, there was no way of getting him off me. He was eyeing me the way one might eye a horse one wanted to buy. Just as suddenly, he withdrew. For him, the crystal was a big piece of goo, like the Goo-toy thing Yugi had had once. It had felt slimy and I never did figure out why Yugi enjoyed playing with it. "You know," he said, "You never did ask me my name. Not once since we met. It's downright rude." "And why should I care?" He laughed. As he turned to go, he shot back, "Since you don't care, it's Slade." As he vanished, I still didn't know what was going on. I really hate it when that happens.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Heh heh, aren't I a stinker? On second thought, don't answer that.  
  
  
Now for the rest of the chapter, we'll stick with Yugi and the gang.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
We were lost. We had been walking for a few hours when we reached a forest. "According to this map," Bakura said with widening eyes, "This is Bedeviled Woods." He showed us the map. It had changed! Three things were labeled, not just two. And there was a purple line marking our progress. "I guess this is a magic map. It won't show us anything we haven't seen." For a second I could have sworn I heard the map rustle condescendingly. Everyone walked right into the woods. It was pretty small, as forests go. Up ahead, it sounded like someone was singing. We went to see what it was - only to find a tiny meadow. In the meadow was a weeping willow, and up amongst the branches was a large bird that none of us had ever seen before. He was singing a funeral dirge. "Down below the earth you go/Sadly I see you no more!" It was way off-key. "A bird that sings dirges?" Joey asked. Then - "Ow! That damn bird threw a rock at me!" He had. He was holding another in his claws. "Do you have a problem with my singing?" He asked threateningly. I wasn't sure what surprised me more; that it was a talking bird, or that it was a talking bird who had a problem with criticism. "No we don't," Taya said soothingly, "We've just never seen a bird singing like you before." The bird, mollified, let go of the rock. "So, what brings a load of humans through Nightgrove?" "Nightgrove? I thought the map said this place was Killbalm!" "It's the same place. The 'Big Boss' renamed it Killbalm when he got here." "Who's the Big Boss?" The bird squawked. "You should know, you met him!" The bird shrieked with laughter. "Just call him the Black Man, like he's been doing." I paled. I hadn't even said that I called the stranger the Black Man! "Don't worry, I have birds intuition! And it's not like you buried it that deeply!" The bird flew unto my shoulder. "Pardon my terrible manners! My name's Clabercloosh the Twenty-third, but to me neighbors I'm CC23! If that's too much, then Clab will be fine." Clab preened. "No need to tell me yours, I know'm already! So what's your business with the Black Man?" "He forced us into a game. He said that if I win I get Yami, but if he wins he gets my Millennium Puzzle." The bird fell off my shoulder in shock.  
  
  
  
  
  
Yes, I put in a crazed talking bird. Does somebody have a problem with that?  
And yes, I now the bird's name is freaky. He picked it himself, so what did you expect?  
*Cue evil laughter* I really like reviews, so why don't you send one in? 


	10. Oh boy do I wish I had earplugs PART TWO

*Yawn* I'm wiped. School, homework, eight or more fics I have to update regularly...  
I'm only human! Although the reviews _have_ been very nice, thanx a bunch you guys!  
Don't fret, I always finish a story. Hee hee!  
I begged on my hands and knees, but my parents won't buy it for me. So I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.  
  
Let's see, this chapter's in Yugi's POV. And here we go!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Clab was flapping and chirping for a few minutes before calming down. He went back to his perch in the tree, and we stopped for lunch. Surprisingly, the food in the packs turned out pretty good. The Black Man must have stolen them from some poor person. By the time we were ready to move on, Clab had filled us in on what he knew. He had originally arrived in Nightgrove long ago, and knew every square foot of it. Apparently the Black Man had shown up not long after him. The Black Man conquered Nightgrove and changed the name to Killbalm. The people of Killbalm were oppressed and hoped for the day the Black Man would be defeated. So far, it hadn't happened. "Clab, can you help us defeat him?" I asked. He shook his head. "I was sworn by powers higher than you could imagine never to give direct help." He smiled. I'm not certain how a bird could smile, but Clab did it somehow. "But what I _can_ give you is some advice. Write this down, I won't be able to repeat it." He cleared his throat.  
  
  
  
"If you wish to beat your foe/down to your heart you must go  
  
Find courage deep inside/do not let it hide  
  
Courage is not without wit/here you must use it  
  
Find the fault amidst the stone/you are not alone  
  
Thousand keys burn bright/find darkness in right  
  
Love is hearts greatest chore/treasure it even more  
  
Follow this and succeed/to find what you really need"  
  
  
  
With that, Clab flew away. His poem had been more off-key than his dirges. "That made…no sense whatsoever," Tristan said. Taya was looking at the lines she had written. "I suppose that when we face the Black Man, this will mean something," she said as she put the poem away. With that, we passed through Bedeviled Woods.  
  
  
  
  
  
By evening, we had reached another forest. The Map said that there was a village in this one. "Do you think we should go in?" Layhon asked. "It is getting late. Perhaps we should make camp." We agreed, but then a group came out of the forest. It was a family - a mom, a dad, two little boys and a girl our age. They were talking, and didn't seem to notice us. "We are going to join the others, and that's final!" the dad said. "But I can help back home!" the girl pleaded. "Not against that," the mom said firmly as a huge roar filtered through the trees. "I don't care what you think! I'm staying, and that's final!" The girl broke away from her family and ran back towards us. They seemed to shrug before moving on. At this point, the girl noticed us. "Oh!" she said. "What are you doing here?" "We were trying to get through these woods," Joey said. "But what are humans doing in Killbalm?" she asked. It was then that I spotted her pointed ears. She was an elf. "We were brought here." I said. She nodded knowingly. "Ah. HIM. That evil man has been a curse upon us. Right now, one of his minions is destroying my home of Greenvale." She held out her hand to me, and we shook. "My name is Willow." We introduced ourselves and explained our situation. Willow decided to lead us to her village, because "Even if it is being destroyed, it's safer than camping here." We were shocked at the sight of the village. It was a wreck! And right in the center of town was a dragon. But not just any dragon. It was a Blue-Eyes!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The dragon's master came into view as we approached. He was tall and thin, and he definitely looked evil. "What do we have here? Some little elves who are too reckless for their own good?" "Hey jerk, enough with the destruction already, I think we got da point!" Joey snapped. That startled me until I remembered that Joey hates bullying more than I do. "Oh, so you want to take me on, human?" "Dat's right! I challenge you to a duel, and if I win you buzz off!" The thin guy pulled out a deck and a mat. "Just so you realize," he said, "This counts as a Shadow Game." As he laid his first card, it glowed and a tiny figure appeared on top of it. It was like an eerie replay of my duel with Bakura's Yami, but with nobody sealed inside cards this time, thank goodness. "I play Rude Kaiser, attack mode!" Joey was a bit unnerved, but dueled better than ever. In the end, it was Joey 450, the thin guy 0. "How could the likes of you beat me?!" The thin guy yelled. "Blue Eyes, take out everything!" "Hey! I won, so you buzz off, creep!" The Blue Eyes roared, and with a shake of it's head the chains restraining it fell off. "Rules of a Shadow Game," Willow said happily. "If you break an agreement in a Shadow Game, you are punished!" With a flick of it's scaly tail, the dragon whacked the thin guy really high into the air before blasting him with white lightening. "Hooray! You did it! You guys are heroes!" Willow cried, and kissed Joey on the cheek. I'll admit she's pretty, but Joey didn't have to pass out after just one kiss.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Willow was able to give us a lot more detailed information about Killbalm. What surprised me was the deep connection between Killbalm and Duel Monsters. All the cards in Duel Monsters were derived from spirits captured in the Shadow Realm. The surviving spirits lived in relative secrecy here in Killbalm. Willow is actually a cousin of my Mystical Elf! "We stay here and try to live in peace." Willow said. She patted the Blue Eyes affectionately. It turns out the Blue Eyes is mine. When Kaiba ripped up his card, the dragon's spirit was able to escape to the Shadow Realm. The Thin Guy (who Willow said is was really a shadow spirit) captured it and brought it here. So now my Grandpa's deck has his Blue Eyes again. She mentioned that it's a long way from her village to the Castle of Sorrows. I wonder how many passengers a Blue Eyes White Dragon can carry?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What? Hasn't anyone ever wondered what happened to the card Kaiba ripped up? I doubt it would just die afterwards.  
Sorry if Joey sounded a bit OOC. And I cut out the duel too, I'M SORRRRRY!!!!!!!!!!!  
I swear to make it up to everybody by the end pf the fic! Really, would I lie?  
I better not hear a 'yes' to that question. Oh, and Review please! 


	11. Detours can be a good thing

Okay, even though little to no people reviewed, i'm posting this.  
Maybe if I cut to the chase, you'll read my stupid fic.  
And the only way you can correct me on whether this fic is stupid is to read it and then tell me it ain't.  
I owth not thy Yu-Gi-Oh.  
PoV's shall be announced before dialog, now read on!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(YAMI POV) I had no way of telling time. It seemed like weeks had passed, but that's just   
  
due to complete boredom. Staring at walls gets old really fast. I was almost beginning to   
  
enjoy Slade's random visits. At least it was something to do, even if he did enjoy   
  
tormenting me. Sure enough, he appeared again. This time he was all business.   
  
"Congratulations." he said. "For what?" I asked. "Your Light and his friends have found   
  
the secret shortcut. They'll be here in a few hours." I felt elated by this. "Guess you   
  
underestimated them, hmm?" I tried to rub it in. He just laughed at me again. If there's   
  
one thing I hate, it's being laughed at. "Silly Yami. He has to find you first. So I have   
  
to make sure you don't cheat." He grinned and with his powers, hit me as hard as he could.   
  
It hurt a lot, and I blacked out instantly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(YUGI POV) We had spent the night at Willow's village. She and her friends were very nice,   
  
but we had to keep moving. By the time we reached the end of the forest, Joey was bugging   
  
us by being paranoid, just like that time in the Duelist Kingdom. "I'm telling you guys,   
  
something's following us!" he insisted. "Joey, if you don't cut it out I'll-" Taya was   
  
interrupted by a giant sneeze coming from the trees. I laughed as the Blue Eyes crept out   
  
sheepishly. "I think he wants to help, guys." Everyone else had decided to hide behind a   
  
nearby rock at this point. The Blue Eyes was very friendly and cooperative, and gladly gave   
  
us a ride to the Castle. It was at least four times bigger than Pegasus's. It was all   
  
black stone and towers. The drawbridge was down, so we walked right in. "So this is the   
  
finish line?" Tristan asked. "I thought he said Yami would be here." Bakura looked around   
  
before answering, "Maybe we have to look for him ourselves?" Yami was no where to be seen   
  
outside, so we walked inside the main building. Blue Eyes had to stay outside because he's   
  
too big. We walked down the hall. There were big paintings of different things - Duel   
  
Monsters, old Egyptians none of us recognized, that sort of thing. We ended up in front of   
  
a large black door. "Hasn't he ever heard of color?" Joey asked. Inscribed on a plaque on   
  
the door was a message:  
  
  
  
  
SO YOU'VE MADE IT TO MY CASTLE:  
  
All well and good, but you haven't found the finish line yet!  
  
You have to pass through the trial to find the line.  
  
If you lose, it counts.  
  
If you lose, I win.  
  
And I want to face you first, so try not to lose in here, little boy.  
  
Have Fun!  
  
  
  
"He really bugs me, you know." Taya said after we all read it. Nothing to do but go in, so   
  
we did. The door closed behind us, and we all fell!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Oh joy, oh rapture. What in the worlds could I have done to them?  
Well, if you don't review, i'll never post and you'll never know. NEVER! *cue insane laughter*  
I need more sleep. Eh heh heh... 


	12. Finish Thee These Trials 3

Time for chapter twelve!  
Okay, somebody reviewed. But even though that single solitary review kept me from axing this fic here and now, i'll need more than one for the rest of it!  
I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, i own Slade and the crazed singing bird.  
See previous chapters if you need to know who those people are.  
Yugi POV this entire chapter.  
Forget me, just read it!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I landed on what felt like sand. It was dark - the sky was the same colors as the   
  
Shadow Realm. Wait a second - SKY? "Where are we?" I could hear my friends on the dune   
  
behind me. "That hurt…" "It wasn't so bad." "It is when three people land right on top of   
  
you!" "Joey, we already said we were sorry about that!" "Hey Yugi, you okay?" "Yeah," I   
  
called back. "What happened?" But before they could answer, a giant blast of lighting hit   
  
the ground between us. "AHHHH!" we screamed and ran. I was running blindly when I fell   
  
down another hole. I landed on something that went "Oof!" It turned out to be Layhon.   
  
"Sorry Layhon." "No problem. What's going on?" Outside our shelter, we could see what   
  
looked like a war. Big shapes we couldn't make out clearly were attacking each other with   
  
bolts of lightening. "We should try to find the others." Layhon whispered as we crept out   
  
of hiding. We stayed close to the ground. We didn't want to be blasted, but apparently   
  
they decided to attack us anyway. Layhon and I had to start running at full speed to avoid   
  
being fried. We slid down a ditch just in time to miss being flattened. We took off down   
  
the ditch until it stopped at a sheer rock wall. The monster behind us decided to go for a   
  
final charge. "Where do we go now?!" Layhon was panicking. I would have too - if I hadn't   
  
seen the crack. It was pretty narrow, but it looked big enough to squeeze through. "In   
  
here! Hurry!" I said, and we dived in. From the large impact, we could tell that the   
  
monster didn't fit. But as it didn't give up, we were forced to move deeper into the hole.   
  
It was a shock when we fell into a cave. "Yugi! Layhon! Thank goodness you're alright!"   
  
The others were there too. We were all beat. "Where do you suppose this thing goes?"   
  
Tristan asked. "Who cares, as long as it's out." We made our way down the tunnel, only to   
  
be confronted by - a door? "This is the biggest door I've ever seen!" Taya said. There   
  
was a keyhole, and in a nearby box were four keys. From left to right they were: a gold   
  
key, a rusty key, a silver key, and a key made of something so dark you could easily lose   
  
track of it. "We chose a key, I guess." We all sat around, trying to pick which one.   
  
"Hey, I think I heard this one before," Joey said. "Yeah, it's that riddle! You have to   
  
pick a chest to find a treasure. One's gold, one's silver, and one's rusty. But if you   
  
choose wrong, something bad happens. And…it's the rusty one! Yeah, because when you're   
  
looking for something valuable, you wouldn't think it'd be in something that looks so ugly!"   
  
Joey walked over and picked up the rusty key. It began glowing, and suddenly it was like   
  
we were surrounded by thousands of glowing keys. "Whoa!" Joey yelped as he dropped the   
  
key. The other keys faded. Layhon jumped up, waving the paper he'd been looking at this   
  
entire time. "Wait, everybody! I just figured it out!" It was Clab's poem. "See, right   
  
here! 'Find the fault amidst the stone/you are not alone.' Yugi saw the crack in the rock,   
  
and then we found you guys! And here - 'Thousand keys burn bright/find darkness in right.'   
  
Here are the keys. We all saw what happened. I think we need the key that won't do that!"   
  
"Which is…" Instead of answering Joey, Layhon looked at me. Gulping nervously, I walked   
  
over to the keys. I picked up the dark one - and it didn't glow. The air was filled with   
  
black keys, but none of them glowed. I unlocked the door as Joey and Tristan patted Layhon   
  
on the back so hard he almost fell over. We walked inside. There was a woman, seated on a   
  
golden throne. She held a set of scales in one hand. It looked an awful lot like the   
  
Millennium Scale. "Welcome," she said. "I am the final part of this test." She beckoned   
  
me closer. "I will ask you a question. If your answer is false, you will fail. Do you   
  
understand?" "Yes." I said quietly. She gave me a sympathetic look before showing me what   
  
was in her other hand. It was a lot of little pictures of everyone. Grandpa, my friends,   
  
Yami - even a man and woman I only recognized from the few pictures Grandpa kept. "Child,"   
  
she said, "If all of these people were gone, and you were granted a choice, who would you   
  
bring back?" Her eyes focused on me as I thought. All these people were the most dear to   
  
me, how could I choose? Then the obvious hit me. "I would bring back all of them," I said   
  
firmly. As I spoke, a white mist floated out of my mouth and settled on one side of the   
  
scale. On the other, a tiny silver feather appeared. The scales tipped back and forth for   
  
what seemed like forever before becoming dead even. "Good boy. You pass, and may proceed."   
  
A door none of us had noticed opened next to her. Everyone else walked through, but I   
  
stayed behind for a minute. "Who are you?" I asked. She smiled, and laughed slightly.   
  
"You may think of me as the Judge of Truth." She said. "You'd better hurry, your friends   
  
are waiting." I ran after them. What I didn't see was her still sitting, laughing like she   
  
had heard something she had waited for for a long time at long last.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The door closed behind us and disappeared. We were in a big room. It looked like   
  
it had been gold-covered at some point, but most of it was covered in grime. And on a   
  
platform in the middle of the room was - "YAMI!!!!" I yelled as I ran to him. He was still   
  
in the box, and was out cold. I tried to reach him, but was stopped by the box's   
  
crystalline surface. So I began pounding franticly on it instead. "Yami, wake up! Wake up   
  
Yami!" I was doing this for a while (And looking like a complete fool in the meantime),   
  
before Yami stirred. "…uh…what…Yugi?" He was really out of it. "Yami, are you okay?" The   
  
others were next to me. Tristan and Joey were trying to figure out how the box opened,   
  
while Taya, Bakura, and Layhon just stood by looking worried. Yami nodded wearily. "I'm   
  
fine. But I can't get out." He was pushing on the inside of the box as we beat on the   
  
outside. We were going nowhere fast. Bakura seemed to be looking at something. "Um,   
  
guys…" he said, more nervously than normal. We turned, and right behind us was the Black   
  
Man. He seemed amused at our antics. "Hey, this is very entertaining! Please don't stop   
  
on my account," he said with a grin. "Oh well. Looks like you've made it to the finish   
  
line!" he smirked. "That means you get to challenge me, little boy." I really hate being   
  
called a little boy. "Well, pick something! I haven't got all eternity!" That stumped me.   
  
What did I know I could do so well that even without Yami's help I could definitely win?   
  
Not much came to mind. He was bigger than me, and probably faster and stronger. That left…   
  
"I challenge you to a duel." "A duel?" "Yes. And you're not allowed to use any powers I   
  
can't use. If you cheat, you automatically forfeit." He nodded thoughtfully until I added,   
  
"Whether one of us catches you or not." He looked a bit impressed. "So, you've come to   
  
understand how a Shadow Game really works." He grinned like an idiot. "Those are your   
  
terms?" "Yes." "Then I accept." He snapped his fingers, and everything shifted. The room   
  
rearranged itself. We faced each other across an open space. On a platform to my right   
  
were my friends. On the opposite platform was Yami, still locked in the box. He was   
  
glaring daggers at the Black Man. He produced a deck from somewhere. "This deck only   
  
contains cards that have actually been released in your world, so don't worry," he said.   
  
Not something you needed supernatural powers for - so far so good. At least I didn't have   
  
to worry about Toon World.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
see! I told you I was going to make it up to you guys with a duel!  
Granted, it took me until almost the end of the fic, and it's not here _yet_, but the next chapter's gonna be all duel, I promise!  
In the meantime, don't hesitate to review, dears. 


	13. Duel!

Duel Time!  
See, here's the duel, just like I promised! Granted, it probably stinks, and I may have Yugi acting a wee bit OOC, but at least it's here.  
Anyone that is an accomplished duelist (unlike myself) is encouraged to point out what I have done wrong.  
Guess what? I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
Starts as Yugi POV, changes listed as they happen. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
As it would turn out, Toon World was the least of my worries. The wide space   
  
in-between us glowed softly, and scoreboard lit up with a life-point count right above it.   
  
It was almost like the duel I'd had with Kaiba, way back when. I noticed the score had us   
  
each at 8000 points. "Oh please. If we had it this duel with tournament rules it would be   
  
over too fast for me to enjoy," the Black Man smirked. That didn't exactly help my self   
  
esteem. I drew my hand and studied my cards. Kuribo, Mystical Elf, Reborn the Monster -   
  
aha! "I will go first," the Black Man said as he went over his own hand. "Let's see…how   
  
about the Hitasu-mi Giant, attack mode!" "And I counter with the Summoned Skull!" I said.   
  
My Summoned Skull appeared and completely fried his Giant. The Black Man's life points went   
  
down to 6700. "Now why didn't I see that coming?" The Black Man mocked me. "Guess I was   
  
too busy looking at this - the Tri Horned Dragon!" The dragon roared as it appeared. "Say   
  
goodbye to your Skull," the Black Man laughed as my life points went down to 7650. I was   
  
still in the lead point-wise, but there was nothing in my deck that could match his dragon.   
  
"Don't worry, Yug'!" Joey called. "It's just a minor setback!" I wished I could match his   
  
confidence, but when I get in tight spots like this I really prefer having Yami's experience   
  
and courage to fall back on. Instead, I was all alone…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(YAMI POV) It was looking very bad. Yugi was ahead, but he didn't have any card   
  
strong enough to go head-to-head with a Tri Horned Dragon. I watched him intently. Even if   
  
I couldn't speak to him mind to mind, I was going to help. He looked my way. He was   
  
scared, but after he looked at me he started calming down, even if it wasn't visibly. He   
  
swallowed and drew. "I play the Celtic Guardian, in attack mode!" He said, and the card   
  
appeared. "And I play this card facedown!" 'Good move!' I thought. A trap card would do   
  
the trick. Slade sneered. "Is that all? One little monster and you start fiddling with   
  
defenses? Alright, if you want to lose the hard way…I play the Fire Wing Pegasus, attack   
  
mode!" The fiery stallion whinnied as it appeared. "But now for your elf…Tri Horn Dragon,   
  
attack!" The dragon's attack raced towards the Celtic Guardian. Suddenly, Yugi flipped up   
  
his trap card. "No you don't! I activate the card Mirror Force!" The dragon's attack   
  
rebounded of the shield and wiped out Slade's Dragon. He growled as it his points dropped   
  
to 5150. Mentally, I was cheering like an idiot, but the only outward indication was a   
  
satisfied smirk. "It's my turn again. I will play this one facedown." It was a reverse   
  
defense monster. I think Yugi was trying to lure Slade to attack it, but instead he ordered   
  
his Pegasus to destroy the Celtic Guardian. I could see Yugi winch as his points dropped to   
  
6800. "And I will also active this magic card, called Reborn the Monster, to bring back my   
  
pet dragon." The Tri Horn roared as it appeared again. "Your move," Slade said sinisterly.   
  
I could see Yugi's face fall. Apparently, his facedown monster _was_ a decoy. Now what   
  
would we do?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
While Yugi tried to straighten his head out, I tried to get a glimpse of the cards   
  
in Slade's hand. No luck there. I turned my attention to the others. Joey, Tristan and   
  
Taya were all yelling encouraging things to Yugi. Layhon was watching Slade with an   
  
inscrutable expression, and Bakura had just turned to glance at me. 'Any luck?' he mouthed.   
  
I shook my head. I couldn't do a thing from where I was, which was probably Slade's point.   
  
Turning back to Yugi, I met his gaze. He needed me. It hurt worse than getting knocked   
  
out to see him like this. He must have seen the pain in my eyes, because he quickly looked   
  
back at his hand. No, wait…was that a smile? Yugi had a very small smile on his face.   
  
What was he doing? Yugi drew a card. The smile got bigger. "Well then," he said, "I play   
  
Gaia the Fierce Knight! And I play these two cards facedown. Gaia, destroy the Fire Wing   
  
Pegasus!" Gaia did so. I could see the puzzlement on Slade's face as his points to 5100.   
  
"What was the point in that?" he asked. "Looks like defeat's knocked a screw loose. Tri   
  
Horn, destroy his knight!" "Not so fast! I played a trap card - Reverse Flush!" I would   
  
have kicked myself if I could have. Of course, the new trap card he'd gotten a while back!   
  
We'd never used it before. As Gaia's demise took 550 points from Yugi, it took 1100 from   
  
Slade. The score stood Slade 4000, Yugi 6250.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(YUGI POV) I could see the happy look on everyone's faces. Except the Black Man's,   
  
of course. Boy did he look mad! And that was only phase one! He snarled as he drew his   
  
monster. "You may live to regret that one, little boy." I refused to let him rattle me. I   
  
had all the skills and power I needed, and he was just sore because he was so far behind.   
  
"Hmm. I play my Skull Red Bird, attack mode, and this magic card known as Ookazi!" I was   
  
surprised as my life points took a 800 point nose dive. It was depressing, even though it   
  
wouldn't alter my plans in the least. Now for step two. "Then…I play the Dark Magician!"   
  
My favorite materialized, impressive as ever. "And I combine him with the magic of Yami, to   
  
boost his power 200!" I could see the embarrassed look Yami always gets when we play this   
  
card while it beefed up my Dark Magician. "Now, Dark Magic Attack!" Obediently, my   
  
Magician destroyed his Skull Bird. Now he had one monster in play, while I had a reverse   
  
defense monster, a monster with a equipment card, and a trap card waiting in the wings. And   
  
I could tell by everyone's expressions that no one but me could see any strategy in this. I   
  
hadn't played like this since I first completed the Millennium Puzzle; no one here had ever   
  
dueled me before then, so how would they know what I was up to? The only thing concerning   
  
me was that the Black Man would pull out some card like Exodia. Nope. Instead he's looking   
  
at me like I've lost my mind. He was at 2850 while I was at 5650. He could still wipe the   
  
floor with my deck via his dragon, but he was confused as to why I was ignoring it.   
  
"Okay…um…I play this card in defense." Hah! I'd done it. He played his card I reverse   
  
defense! It was a huge success of my strategy: If you can't beat 'em, confuse them. Now   
  
for the next step. While his dragon's only 150 pts stronger, that's still too much. So I   
  
drew, trusting my cards to guide me.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was a bit of a surprise to see it at first. After all, I'd only put the card in   
  
last night. Deciding to hide my trump, I said, "Then I place this card facedown, and play   
  
the Magical Hats. Hats, conceal my Magician!" That got a look. "Why's Yugi doing that?" I   
  
heard Joey whisper. "Duh, the dragon's still plenty able to kick butt! He doesn't want to   
  
lose his strongest card, obviously!" Tristan muttered back. Turns out the Dark Man has   
  
extra-good hearing. "So, finally realizing my incredible might?" he taunted me. "Too bad   
  
that your 'strongest' card is so weak!" He drew. "Oh boy, this is a good one! I play my   
  
Red Eyes Black Dragon!" The new dragon roared as it appeared next to his Tri Horn. "And   
  
I'll combine him with Dragon Nails to make short work of your precious hats. Now, Inferno   
  
Fire blast!" The dragon roared and blew up a hat. It was a perfect shot, in my opinion.   
  
"Too bad! Not only was that the wrong hat, you activated the trap I just put down! The   
  
Spellbinding Circle!" Just like the time I dueled the fake Kaiba, the dragon roared as the   
  
circle drained away 700 attack pts. "Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" The Magician   
  
reappeared and blew the Red Eyes away. Now he only had 2650 life points. At this point,   
  
the Black Man just glared at me. It wasn't scary; Seto Kaiba's glare is at least twice as   
  
threatening. Right as my turn ended, I noticed something. Layhon was acting a little   
  
strange. He wasn't saying anything. He seemed to be staring into space and mumbling under   
  
his breath. He seemed a little twitchy, too.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(YAMI POV) What was my Aibou doing? Certainly, he was slowly chipping at Slade's   
  
points. But he was acting like this was no big deal. I suppose it was to throw Slade off:   
  
right now Slade looked like he'd sat on an ant's nest. I could see him trying to figure out   
  
what Yugi was doing. He'd glance at us, but we didn't know either. Yugi was leaving his   
  
Dark Magician out like a big fat target now, Hats forgotten. He had a reverse defense   
  
monster and a trap card, while Slade had a reverse defense and his Tri Horn. What was going   
  
on? Slade looked really irritated. "Yes, we're all thrilled you defeated my Red Eyes. But   
  
now his brother dragon is going to take out that Magician of yours. Tri Horn Dragon   
  
attack!" "Guess what? You forgot my other trap card. It's been sitting here for a while,   
  
and I think I'll use it. Waboku!" The three figures surrounded the Dark Magician,   
  
preventing him from being destroyed, then fell to dust. "Your petty traps cannot hold back   
  
my attacks forever!" Slade yelled. He was beginning to lose his temper. "Losing so badly   
  
will do that I guess," I mumbled under my breath. I was rewarded by Slade glaring, but it   
  
didn't matter. We were winning. I still had no idea what Yugi was doing, but we were   
  
winning, and at this point that's all that really mattered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(YUGI POV) It was almost time for the big guns now.The Black Man was losing his   
  
temper. I just stood there, looking all innocent, while I tried to figure out what was up   
  
with Layhon. He glanced at me and smiled, but it was like I was looking at a different   
  
Layhon. Like he was older then he seemed. It didn't make sense then. A series of rude   
  
remarks in what I assumed was Egyptian (judging from the sudden offended look on Yami's   
  
face) drew me back to the duel. "You cannot beat me with your little traps!" he roared.   
  
"You know, you're absolutely right!" That confused him. "I'm right? I mean - of course I   
  
am!" "Yeah. I'm gonna have to go on the offensive if I'm going to beat you soon." I drew,   
  
and said, "And that means pulling out the strongest card in my deck." I smirked just like   
  
Yami as I cried, "I summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Blue Eyes appeared in a flash of   
  
lighting and roared. Not surprisingly, every single other person jumped and screamed.   
  
Well, Yami really couldn't jump. And Layhon just jerked and gave me a grin. But still,   
  
everyone else was freaking out. None of them had overheard the ownership talk Willow had   
  
given me. "And I reveal my hidden monster as the Mystical Elf!" I said as my elf appeared,   
  
chanting a spell. Just to rub it in, I added, "And I also play these Books of Secret Arts   
  
to raise the attack and defensive powers of both the Mystical Elf and the Dark Magician.   
  
Oh, and this card facedown." I watched happily as not only was my Magician boosted, but the   
  
spell cast by my Elf increased my dragon's power as well. This plan made no sense to anyone   
  
else, which is why I was the only one to pull it off. And I did! "Now, White Lighting   
  
Attack!" Blue Eyes roared again as he annihilated the Tri Horn Dragon. Slade let out a   
  
chocking sound as his score plummeted to 400. He was still choking as he flipped up his   
  
facedown monster, revealing a Dragon Zombie. It destroyed my Elf, but my Magician took care   
  
of it. The final score was The Black Man 0, Me 5150.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
So, whatdaya think? Cool, no?  
Please tell me, feedback iz so very nice! 


	14. Missing Link

OMG! THE END IS NIGH!  
Yep, this is the last one! I'd like to thank everybody that reviewed - all those words of encouragement really helped! Thanks a bunch!  
Ho, hum, still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I MISSED THE NEW EPISODES! My stupid VCR was broken, and my family dragged me off on a day-trip to NYC, but I didn't realize it was broken till we got back...Man, my life stinks. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!!!! Spoil it, and you'll wish you'd never been born! Trust me, hell hath no fury like a Chiwizard scorned. I have no idea why I just put that, but it had to be said.  
Anyway, going back to happy things, this is back to being all Yami POV.  
  
Chao!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He won! I still have no idea what he did but he won! Now we could go home! Or so   
  
we thought. As Yugi ran to me and everyone ran to him, I could see Slade out of the corner   
  
of my eye. He looked like he was going to explode from fury then and there. It probably   
  
didn't help when Joey yelled, "Hey, he won, so had over the keys or whatever already!"   
  
Slade snarled as he snapped his fingers. I felt a slipping sensation, then landed on the   
  
floor. _Both_ my legs were asleep, perfect! I rubbed them while circulation returned,   
  
which wasn't helped by the crowd of people that kept insisting on jostling me. It took a   
  
minute before I could stand. Then the feeling of being ripped apart replaced pins and   
  
needles. Whatever Slade had done, it was still in effect. Which meant…oh goody. I had a   
  
pretty fair estimate of what Slade was planning on doing next. Sure enough, he walked right   
  
up. "Well, you've gotten your Yami back. Now what are you going to do, little boy?" Yugi   
  
figured out what he meant instantly. "Take us home," he said. "Hah! That wasn't part of   
  
the deal! And neither was not doing this!" Slade waved his hand, and an invisible wave   
  
crashed into us. It knocked down everyone - everyone, that is, except Layhon. He stood   
  
there, with a vaguely familiar expression on his face. "What do you think you are doing?!"   
  
Slade roared. Instead of answering him, Layhon walked off a few paces, and turned so he was   
  
facing everyone. "It is not what I _think_ I am doing. I am doing it." Layhon closed his   
  
eyes. "I am sorry," He said. "I would have preferred revealing this under different   
  
circumstances." He let the front of his cloak fall open. It revealed an object hanging   
  
from a chain around his neck. It looked like a small plate. It was blue, and very shiny.   
  
But what really got everyone's attention was the Sennen Eye slightly raised upon it's   
  
surface. As the light wiped over it the subtle mark would seemingly disappear, but we knew   
  
it was still there. I hesitate to call it a Millennium Item, since I only made seven and we   
  
had seen all of them. But the Puzzle and Ring were glowing. Layhon concentrated, and in a   
  
whirling flash of light what was unquestionably his Yami appeared. Layhon's Yami looked   
  
just like him (duh), but older and taller. He had gray eyes, as opposed to Layhon's   
  
greenish blue. His hair was finer, silvery in color, and longer. What struck me as odd was   
  
the feeling that I knew him. But from where? I needed to remember - wait, a memory! The   
  
last memory door I had checked! The man in there that I had recognized as a friend! He and   
  
Layhon's Yami were identical…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
After a brief stare-down, Slade said, "And who might you be?" "Come now. You mean   
  
to say you don't remember me?" That voice! I remembered that voice. As I hastily   
  
swallowed my revelations, I saw Yami no Layhon giving me a smile out of the corner of his   
  
eye. "Oh I remember you. You got in my way, right when I was going to win! I never did   
  
figure out what happened to you. I figured you'd done me a favor and died!" Slade was   
  
really growling now. "Looks like I'll have to do it _for_ you!" Slade launched a mighty   
  
blast, but Yami no Layhon merely passed his hand. The Sennen Eye glowed on his forehead as   
  
Slade's attack was reflected right back to him. Slade gave an unearthly shriek as he and   
  
the entire castle got blown away. Eventually, it was just us, sitting around on a giant   
  
pile of rubble. "Hah! So you had an ace in the hole this entire time!" Without warning, a   
  
really weird-looking bird flew down and landed on my Aibou's shoulder. The others seemed to   
  
know him. "Hi Clab," Yugi said. "And who's this? Your secret identity?" Clab squawked   
  
with delight. "Pleased to meet you, your ex-Pharaohship!" What the - "It's called Bird's   
  
Intuition. Don't bother trying to understand," Clab set about preening his plumage before   
  
casting eyes on Layhon. Layhon's Yami was still in control. "Hey boss, long time no see!"   
  
The bird was enjoying the uncomprehending looks on our faces. "I didn't mention I come from   
  
Egypt, did I?" "I think you left that part out," Bakura said. "Well then, I was flapping   
  
around, minding my own business, trying not to get blown out of the air back when heck broke   
  
loose. I was just over the center of the palace when this giant golden light rams right   
  
into me. Next thing I know, I'm in Nightgrove and I can talk. But I think I'd like to go   
  
back now." "Yeah, how do we get home?" Joey asked. Yami Layhon stepped forward. He said,   
  
"I can do it. We need a circle of Items." After a bit of confusion, Yami Layhon, Bakura,   
  
Yugi, and I were in a circle. Joey, Taya, and Tristan were inside, and Clab sat on Taya's   
  
shoulder. Yami Layhon chanted, the Items glowed, and the next thing we knew, we were back   
  
in Yugi's room. I went back to my Soul Room, and decided to go to sleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
My plans were thwarted when Jainlia and Grandpa rushed in. "Oh thank goodness you   
  
came back safely!" Apparently, they had woken and decided to check on us, only to find us   
  
missing. Jainlia walked right up to Yami Layhon. I could sense Yugi about to tell her that   
  
this wasn't her nephew, but instead Jainlia said, "I'll bet you slept through the entire   
  
thing, too! I thought you were supposed to be a protecting force!" "Quite the contrary,   
  
madam. Layhon didn't really need my help." Yami Layhon went back to the Item, and Layhon   
  
gave his aunt a hug. "Yeah, aunt Jainlia, I can take care of myself!" "Well, this is very   
  
touching and all, but what am I, chopped liver?" Clab fluttered over to perch on Yugi's bed.   
  
It was an interesting round of introductions. But since it was still nighttime, Grandpa   
  
told us all to get to sleep. Instead of sleeping, I went to my false form and went to look   
  
out the window. I heard a rustling footstep. Yami Layhon stepped up. "So you finally   
  
recognized me," he said. "I thought Layhon looked familiar. But, I have to ask, what   
  
happened to you?" "I was using my full power, and your spell decided to give me my own   
  
special container." "And Jainlia knows about you?" "Knows? She _gave_ the Mirror to Layhon   
  
when he was an infant. She told me she wanted her nephew to be happy and safe. As far as   
  
he's concerned, I'm like the perfect brother. Always helping, and always there. I take it   
  
your Yugi solved the Puzzle?" "He said something about his Grandpa giving it to him as a   
  
deathbed present." Both of us laughed quietly. With a rustle of feathers, Clab landed on   
  
Yami Layhon's shoulder. "I was wondering what had happened to you," Yami Layhon said. Clab   
  
preened. "Well, It's no fun dodging dragons, I'll tell you." He paused. "So, what now   
  
boss?" "Please don't call me 'boss'. Call me Yalanlon, it's my name." I snickered. "Hey,   
  
your name isn't that normal either, _YUGIOH_." "At least it's not as weird as yours."   
  
"Mine takes the cake! Clabercloosh the Twenty-Third is as weird as they get!" We all   
  
covered our mouths so as not to wake the others.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Okay, so Yami was kind of OOC. And I have more people with weird names in here. Plus, i'm not certain if Yami's name in Egypt was Yugioh, but let's pretend it was.  
Face it, i'm a very weird person.  
Hope you liked the story - I have a sequel in the works but it needs a lot of work.  
I know! Okay, from this point on, everybody give me suggestions on how the sequel should play out.  
  
For example:  
With there be Yaoi?  
Or the return of certain evil characters (who might be revaped to be more threatening)?  
Perhaps something entirely different will come about.  
It's up to you!  
See ya! 


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